"Reaching 500,000 electric vehicles in California is yet another indicator that the future of transportation is electric. And that future is approaching faster than ever," said Veloz board Chair David Hochschild. "We have seen monthly sales of electric vehicles triple this year, and California is well on our way to 5 million by 2030."
The selected OPEN 2018 projects are in 21 states and fall into nine technical categories, including transportation, electricity generation and delivery, and energy efficiency.
The funding comes from Pennsylvania's $118 million settlement with Volkswagen Group of America for cheating on EPA emissions tests, and the grants and rebates are available through Gov. Tom Wolf's Driving PA Forward initiative, which aims to permanently reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from vehicles.
"Although tough new engine standards are in effect now and will eventually lower emissions, most agricultural equipment lasts for decades. We cannot wait for the older dirtier equipment to phase out naturally, so we are taking action to improve air quality sooner by helping farmers to buy cleaner farm equipment now," CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey said.
Volvo Buses has now sold more than 4000 electrified Volvo buses to customers around the world, the company announced March 14, saying its latest order is for 90 hybrid buses from Brussels.
EV adoption continues to grow in California, but lack of charging locations remains one of the biggest barriers. PG&E said its EV Charge Network will support the adoption of EVs by increasing access to charging in locations where it has traditionally been limited and where cars often sit for longer periods of time, like workplaces and apartment buildings.